Childhood
Chapter 1

The fourth planet from the central blue giant named Zol, a small sapphire world called Dapume glided through space, towing its single moon behind.
While Zol was the native word for Grand Light, the moon was named the Bringer of Snow, an ancient misunderstanding of where snow comes from.

As the moon shifted out of alignment, the start of a new month began on the Western continent of Colizar.

The jungles stretched over the range of mountains and valleys gave home to many birds and animals.
While nature was above all respected as the giver of all life, tribes had cultivated the land around natural rivers to feed their civilisations.

Though peace was sought across the lands, the tribes were no strangers to combat.
However, their ambitions never reached beyond the highest peak of the mountains.
The mightiest civilisation in the entire world was lost forever.
They were the most ambitious, they expanded and grew so large that the very ground beneath them collapsed into a bottomless pit, known to all only as the Lost Grave.
Their loss remains as a reminder to all others to never take the world for granted, lest it consume them too.

Though the teachings of this history kept generations mindful of their actions, far above the clouds and high among the stars, an unseen war had been taken place.

When their small world was discovered beyond the edge of controlled space, refugees looking for safety settled on various lands.
Having just fled the subjugation and near genocide of their people, none of them were willing to allow uncertainty to haunt their new lives.

Entire forests were cut down to build warm homes for the winter. Mountains were mined for their ore to build strong defences.
Every gun was aimed at the sky in case their pursuers followed.

When the devastation brought on the land was discovered by the tribes who lived there, it was assumed the settlers must be monsters or worse.

Two years of battle against much weaker and technologically inferior foes almost saw the tribes wiped out, until the hand of God slammed down.
Or so the tribes thought at first, but came to know that not all star descendants were cruel.

A neutral party reached an agreement with the Dapumen.
Although the settlers were given permission to keep larger cities, expansion plans were to be scrapped.

The native civilisations were mostly nomadic and lived within their means.
As a people of different faiths and philosophies, two ideals stayed consistent.
They did not birth whom they could not feed.
A plan without action is meaningless, while action without a plan is dangerous.

For the asexual natives, it was no trouble keeping their population managed in spite of having over 99% of the world wild for centuries.
Countless generations had come and gone, and despite having the means to construct and expand, there was never any need.
Careful planning went into each and every birth, to satisfy a role in their civilisation.

This idea, though oppressive in the minds of the settlers, soon became a reluctantly agreed and well enforced law in the cities.
After some teething, life continued as always on the planet.

But for the cities built by the settlers, things were a little less controlled.
And with the law prohibiting expansion into new land, their only option was to build up.
The old city lay in the shadow of the one built after. Then another layer was added. Then one more for luck.

Some of the city's farming land covers unseen mines for raw material to construct the next layer should the time come.
A controversial move in the minds of the citizens.

After all, a weak foundation destabilised by a seismic shift could cause a collapse.

"If we don't find the bombs, the entire farming district could collapse, hundreds of feet into the planet's crust! Warren, what do we do?"

"Split up, find the bombs, and save the day! Even if it means some of us never make it back, because that's what heroes do!"

As the Captain of the Hero Prima tried to assure his team, the catwalk exploded beneath their feet.
Their terrified faces and screams were consumed by the darkness below as they fell into the abyss.

"Tune in next week to see if Hero Prima is able to save the day!"Cheered the narrator as the credits started to roll.

As part of children's programming, every episode must have three parts education for every one part of entertainment.

This usually means historical programs cut away to people imitating heroes in the last 15 minutes of an episode.

"Well maybe they shouldn't have left those booster packs on the jet?" Garagus sighed from the sofa as he stretched out his arms and legs.
It was at that exact moment that the preview for the next episode showed the heroes flying out of the dark pit with their booster packs.
"Wow…" He rolled his eyes as he looked at his wife Rhuba, who'd fallen asleep somewhere between the settlers landing and the peace talks.
But when Garagus looked at the young girl wagging her tail frantically as she knelt under the screen, he knew there were worse ways to end a training session than letting his daughter watch her TV shows.

"Dad!" Celerave spun on the floor and jumped up onto his lap. "I want to get stwong as them! ..Don't laugh!" The girl pouted her cheeks as her father shoogled her mother awake.

"I'm up!" Rhuba sat upright and checked the room once over. "What time is it?"

"Time to get back to real life." Declared Garagus as he ushered his wife and daughter into the airlock of the ship.

Every month, the three of them would spend a few days inside the ship.
Since Dapume's gravity is much weaker than their lost home world, Vegeta, Rhuba and Garagus decided it would be a good idea to condition themselves with the ship's artificial gravity simulator to prevent fatigue.
Garagus had experience in that, and it's not fun to recover from.

As they stepped into the natural gravity for the first time in four days, Celerave celebrated by jumping up onto the roof of their house, waving her arms to keep balance on the narrow edges as she walked merrily along the roof.

"You seriously want to teach Her to fly?" Rhuba whispered.

"One day, yes." Garagus looked up at the brilliant early morning sky. "Remember, next month I'm taking the ship to work, so you'll need to keep her inside on your own."

Rhuba gave him a knowing glance.
The gravity therapy was something that they as parents wanted to keep on top of, but more importantly, it was a convenient excuse to keep Celerave behind shielded windows during the full moon.

"Celerave will do something naughty by then, I'll just ground her until the moon shifts away."

"Mum!" Celerave called from the roof. "I can see it! I'see the moon!" She was jumping up and down while pointing at the bright ball in the eastern sky, but was suddenly tackled to the ground by her father, who moved as fast as he could away from their house and ship.
"Dad?" Celerave clung to him. He didn't reply, he just looked ahead as he carried her through the woods.
Despite moving faster than some airships, Celerave was more afraid of her father than anything else.

As soon as they landed, Garagus fussed over the girl. Listening to her heart, checking her eyes, watching her fair skin for any signs of change.
"Dad, I'm scared…" Celerave whimpered as Rhuba arrived soon behind.

"Anything?"

"No…" Garagus stayed on the ground with Celerave while Rhuba flew into the sky.

It wasn't cheap, but they bought a small window meant for spaceships that disperses the light that triggers the frightful transformation.
It was shaped to the size of a small screen and fitted with a handle so one of the parents could look at the moon.

But Rhuba couldn't see the moon.
She did see the sun, though. Hovering above the eastern horizon.
It was hidden behind a cloud, visible, but with no blinding glare.
So to the unassuming eye, it did look like the moon.

Signalling the false alarm to Garagus, she gently descended back to the ground below.
The potential crisis was averted, for now.
Now the far easier job awaits.
Gaslighting a child.

"What wuz that for?"

"You were about to fall, silly," Rhuba told her as she touched down beside them. "If your dad hadn't caught you, you might have got hurt."

"No I wouldn't!" Celerave wriggled free and ran away from them. "I can take it!" With her feet planted on the ground, she looked at her parents with fierce eyes.

With a smirk, Rhuba stepped forward.
Her tail swished side to side before swinging comfortably around her hips. The one and only warning for Celerave to do the same, but the girl was cockily letting hers hang free. A decision she may come to regret.

In the blink of an eye, Celerave ran forward aiming a punch right for Rhuba's stomach.
The woman blocked, grabbing Celerave's wrists and throwing her with a twirl.

Celerave skidded across the grass, stumbling over herself and actually bouncing once before landing on her back.
She scrunched her eyes, feeling sore pretty much everywhere.
Her options now were, give up and prove her parents right about her being in danger of hurting herself, or get up and fight.

Rolling onto her hands and knees, Celerave sprinted across the field to meet her parents waiting on the far side.

"She never learns, does she?" Garagus chuckled.

"She'll tucker herself out before she gets here." Rhuba agreed, taking a moment to rest while keeping her eyes locked on the girl.

Celerave's little feet were battering the ground in her charge, but her parents noticed a light shining from her.

"Oh she's getting serious~" Garagus stepped in and deflected the energy blast into the sky before it hit either of them. "No blasts!"

"Sorry!" Celerave called back before ending her charge with a leap at Rhuba, who easily evaded the attack and returned with an elbow to the back of the girl's ribs, slamming her to the ground.

"Ow!" Celerave grunted as Rhuba sat on her.

"Why don't you fight your dad next?" Rhuba teased. "You'll have a better chance with him."

Locking eyes with the Alpha she married.
Or, the Elite in modern words.
Rhuba could see Garagus readying to make her back those fighting words up with action.

"Watch how the grownups play~" Rhuba leapt from the ground and met Garagus in the air.
Reeling her arm back, she landed a punch square on his chest.
If she wasn't able to block his follow-up, she'd have ended up in the dirt beside their daughter.

Once able to, Celerave lifted herself from the ground and sat to watch her parents fight.
It was a good opportunity to learn how those with experience do battle, but it also gave her a chance to catch her breath after all that running.
But it was frustrating to watch from the side.
Her parents looked so cool fighting in the air, darting back and forth returning blow for blow.
Even the wind was blowing the girl's hair every time flesh collided.

Battle done between the two was a frightening thing for the wildlife at first, but over the years, it became part of the background noise.
Even Celerave found her attention drifting towards a frog hopping along the grass.

"Hop hop~" Celerave got on her hands and followed the frog into the woods. "Hop… hop hop~"

In the field, Rhuba smashed Garagus into the ground, but before she could pin, he rolled over and scissor locked her from a handstand.
It didn't last long, she broke out and tried to fly away but he was faster.
With his arms locked around her, both slammed into the ground again with Garagus on top.

"Submit!"

"F-fine, Fine!" Rhuba took a deep breath when Garagus stepped off of her. "Celerave, tag in…!"

Garagus spun around, putting up his guard for whatever assault the girl was planning.
"Where is she?"

"hmm?" Rhuba shot up to her feet.
Both searched the edges of the treeline from where they stood. Normally Celerave's silver hair calls them in like a beacon, but there was definitely no sign of her.

Both parents reached for their scouters to track the girl, but the sets were back in the ship.
"I'll get the scouters, you look for her!" Garagus then shot off back home.

Rhuba ran back to where they left her.
The exact spot was marked with a Celerave-shaped imprint in the dirt.
The sight of it was enough to make her chuckle.
But what was more important was finding the girl.

"Celerave!"
In the woods, Celerave had almost made it to the river by hopping along with the frog she'd been following. When she heard her mother's voice echoing through the trees, she knew it only meant one thing. It was her time to get payback.

"Coming!" She jumped up and started running. Her sense of direction wasn't fantastic at the best of times, but having spent her entire trip with her eyes glued to a frog, she had even less of an idea of where to go.
So she just kept running, announcing her location until finally, Rhuba spotted her running the wrong way.

The girl was dead set on getting where she was going, she didn't even notice she'd been found until she had been plucked from the ground and ascended through the trees.
"Is it my turn now?"

"What have you been told about running off?"

"I wozn't running, I woz hopping wiv a frog."

Rhuba ignored that comment as she flew over the trees.
Garagus' first move upon getting a scouter would be to track Celerave. When he detects her in the air, he'll know she's been found and stop worrying.

Cradling Celerave close to the chest while in flight, Rhuba couldn't help but feel pride.
She had so many fond memories of when Garagus would carry her back before learning to fly. Or more accurately, back when she was stubbornly rejecting the possibility of learning to fly.
Looking back on her younger self, she felt so foolish and naïve.
The power was there all along, it was just learning how to use it.

Then there's Celerave.
Growing up around two parents who can fly easily. She can't wait to learn.
The hardest thing is stopping her from jumping from cliffs and trees expecting to soar into the clouds.
There've been too many close calls, which is why the father wants to teach her before she gets hurt.
But Rhuba, while promising to let her learn someday, wants her to reach an age where she understands how to be subtle.

However, that doesn't mean they can't have fun.

Celerave leaned forward watching their house go under them. She thought they were going home, so when her mother kept going, she looked up with some worry.
After all, Rhuba had voiced frustration at her disappearance earlier.

"Am I in twoble?"

Rhuba smirked, glancing down at the girl.
Besides the fabriate under armour her parents insist she wears every month in case of incidents with the full moon, Celerave was only wearing a simple yellow t-shirt and trousers that reach her shins.
Not exactly standard high-flying materials, but she should be able to endure it.

Holding the girl close, Rhuba shot towards the southern coast, following the trail of lakes.
The speed of which they flew over the water sent two waves crashing onto either side of the rivers.

Celerave recoiled her hand. When she tried to feel the water below, it was like running her hand along gravely slurry.

Soon the pair saw a break in the hillside, beyond was the open sea and sky.
The crashing waves from the ocean swept up the river before petering out, almost lapping over the karsts that dotted where the two halfs of the continent met.

Some karsts were high enough to rival the hills on either side of the river, others were nearly covered by the waves below.
On one of the karts poking from the east side of the river, Rhuba left Celerave.
The girl yelped as the waves crashed just below her feet, foamy sea water hugged around her small island of safety while Rhuba stood on another nearby.

"Celerave!" Rhuba called, balancing on her rock with one foot. "Time to go home." With a hop, Rhuba landed on the next rock, then to the next. "Follow me!"

Celerave gulped. She could reach the next rock as easily as Rhuba did, even without flying. But the choppy waves were scaring her.

Without warning, Celerave just caught the flash of an energy blast whizzing by her.
It narrowly missed and flew out into the ocean. But it was unmistakably shot from Rhuba.

"I won't miss again!" She called, aiming her palm right at the little girl.
She watched carefully as Celerave neared the edge, then just as she jumped, Rhuba fired her blast, knowing it would miss.
"Good girl. Now the next!"

Celerave's heart pounded in her ears.
The next jump was almost on even footing. But she already saw her mother aiming at her.
The only way to not get hit is to jump.

Rhuba's blast came.
Celerave jumped. But not to the next ledge, she jumped over it.

"Cheeky…" Rhuba leapt from her perch and flew directly above the girl. "Dodge this one!"
Aiming straight down, Rhuba fired the next blast.
It crackled and sent stones scattering on impact, but Celerave had already leaped to the next ledge, clinging on by her fingernails.

"Mum!" She screamed, feeling her fingers ache as she struggled to get a grip with her feet. She could just lift her chin up above the ledge, but her foot slipped, and she lost height. "Mum Pleaze!" She pleaded, shutting her eyes and waiting.

"Let go."

Without looking, Celerave let go of the ledge and landed softly in her mother's arms.
Rhuba sighed to herself as she felt the girl's arms tightening around her neck.
There was a part of her who did consider letting Celerave drop.
It's the sort of thing their kind would do. Sink or swim.

Rhuba set Celerave down on the ledge she failed to reach, almost having to push her away just to get free from her grip.
Celerave's big fearful eyes were soaked with tears when she was told to try again.

"Be a brave girl and follow me." Once more, Rhuba jumped ahead to the next platform. It wasn't as high nor as far, but once she landed, Rhuba stepped off and floated right next to it.
"Land on the rock!" She called up to Celerave. "Or jump to me, I'll catch you."

With hesitation in her step, Celerave edged closer.
The sea was aggressively stirring waves over the flowing river. To fall and be caught in there, even the strongest swimmers would struggle. There are even wolves that would patrol along the banks looking for fish that had been tossed onto the land.
If fish can't swim in those rapids, what chance would Celerave have?

"Look at me. You can do this." Rhuba held out her arms. "Forget everything else… and come to me."

Celerave felt like her legs were made of lead. Even the monthly gravity therapy didn't make her feel so rooted to the ground.
Closing her eyes didn't help at all. It just meant she couldn't see her mother anymore, but she could still hear the crashing water. Still feel the wind at her back.

Bending her shaking knees, Celerave lunged forward.
The feeling of descent felt like it went on forever before strong arms closed in around her.
Celerave wrapped her arms, legs and tail around Rhuba, she didn't even realise Rhuba did a full back flip from Celerave landing on her.

"It's okay, I've got you." Rhuba landed on the hillside above the river.
On solid ground, Celerave seemed to come off the complete fear she was in by being on the karsts.
"I know that was scary for you, but you need to be braver than this. You're five years old now. Have some pride in yourself."
Rhuba watched the girl's scared lip tremble turn into a frown.
Slightly better.
"Look over there. Do you see that mountain?"

It was a bit away. The Al'Colics temple, home to the natives who welcomed the family when they first landed.
Celerave only visits them with her parents, but the mountain the temple sat upon is recognisable anywhere, as it's the main feature seen from her bedroom window.

"I'll race you home. No flying." Rhuba knelt to tighten the girl's boots before doing her own. "If you win, no chores for today."

Celerave was skipping with excitement.
"Can we play?"

"No, I've still got chores. You can play."

"Can Dad play wiv me?"

"No, Dad has to work too. You can play with yourself."

"playing wiv myselv is boring." Celerave pouted.

"Okay. New offer. If you lose this race, you can do All the chores while your dad and I watch cartoons."

"NO!"

"Then stop being a brat and move your legs." Clapping her hands loudly, Rhuba watched as Celerave sprinted down the hillside.

Rhuba jogged behind as the girl took the lead.
Celerave is strong and fast, but stamina has always held her back. A possible consequence of living on such a weak world.
Her strength is like a flashfire. Powerful, but short-lived.

"Come on, Celerave. Lift those heels!" Rhuba hopped into the trees, following from above, skipping from branch to branch while Celerave ran between the trunks.

Her tail swished behind as the girl tried to keep her distance from her pursuing mother.
But already her sides were starting to ache as her breaths grew more shallow, becoming heavy with the taste of mucus as she ran.

As she slowed to take a breath, she looked back expecting to see Rhuba behind.
Instead, she caught a glimpse of dark grey fur disappearing below the grass.

"Mum…!" Celerave took a step away, then the loud snarl of a wolf rang from right behind her ear.

The wolf hit the ground as Rhuba dropped down, neck locking it in her arm.
It howled and shook itself free, backing away as Rhuba stepped beside Celerave.
She felt the girl hugging her leg as the pack closed in.

"Be brave." Rhuba told her. "You're not the one in danger. They are." Glancing down at her, Rhuba gave an aggressive glare. "Be scary, make them know You're stronger than they are."

Celerave looked at the snarling, growling wolves. Their dreadful eyes were a haunting blue. Their sharp slabbering teeth inspired a lot of fear.

"Plant your feet, pretend you're fighting me." Rhuba could see Celerave's shadow. She was trying to intimidate the wolves by making herself seem larger than she is.
It wasn't working.
"Alright then…" Rhuba lifted Celerave onto her hips.

The wolves closed in, waiting for the ones at the back of their prey to make the first move.

Rhuba charged her energy quickly. With it, she could fly away with Celerave, or concentrate a blast at the wolves.
Instead, she released it at once like popping a balloon.
The blow back pushed the wolves away with an invisible force.

Putting Celerave down, but keeping a hold of her hand, Rhuba ran towards the wolves.
"Come on then! Come ON!" She roared, stomping her feet, yelling at them and encouraging Celerave to do the same.

"Mum they are behind us!" Celerave saw the look from her mother. Swallowing hard, she faced the three wolves alone.

The larger one leaped at her but was whacked aside by the girl's tiny fist.
The wolf wasn't the only one surprised by this. Celerave was just as caught off guard.

"You're not prey, Celerave." Rhuba encouraged, pushing the front lot of wolves away with another blast wave from her hand. She had no interest in fighting the others, but she will not let them interfere.
"When the wolves close in, you can flee, or you can teach those bad dogs who the top bitch really is."

"No!" Celerave looked at her with tears in her fearful eyes. "That's a Bad Word, Mum!"

"It's fitting!" Rhuba sighed, wondering why she was justifying herself to a 5-year-old. But she knew deep down, she was really just trying to reason with her so she wouldn't tell her dad. "Just scare them off so we can go."

Celerave turned her focus to the two wolves still standing and the third one who was still figuring out its equilibrium.
Running towards them, the two wolves backed away, splitting up to try and surround her even with just the two of them.

Rhuba followed. She had no fear of a wolf trying to come at her from behind. It'll be the last thing they ever attempt. A few cuts or bites is nothing.
Celerave may not realise it, but she is the third most dominator of the forest after her parents. By birthright.
To the wolves, Celerave is just a lost little cub. But for the last two days, that cub had lived, slept, and trained under a gravity that would crush the air right out of the wolves' lungs.
Realise it or not, Celerave is from a warrior race.
One of the last Saiyans.
Born with the primal raging fire of the Oozaru in her heart.
Victory is all but certain.

With a proud smile, Rhuba watched as Celerave ran after one wolf, and watched the second one grab her by the ankle and drag her screaming into the tall grass.

"Damn it!" Rhuba had to give chase before her daughter got eaten.

After kicking the wolves across the forest, Rhuba carried the sobbing Celerave home on her back.
As much as the mother felt the girl should be more assertive as a Saiyan, she couldn't help but feel bad about it.
Something about watching your screaming child be dragged away by a vicious wild animal does that to a mother.

"I'm not saying you're entirely to blame, but you really could have kicked that wolf yourself."

Celerave whined louder as she looked at her boot. The teeth marks were truly there to stay. She was just happy they didn't hurt her feet.

She perked up though as they entered the house.
The smell of salty starchy vegetables boiling away was enough to banish any sad feelings.
Hopping from her mother's back and limping enthusiastically to the kitchen, Celerave jumped up onto the counter on all fours with her white tail wagging away.

"Take your boots off the counter, Celerave," Garagus demanded as he threw the last of the chopped blades into the stew. "You didn't get any seagrass while you were out, did you-… What happened to you?" He only saw the girl in his peripheral and heard the clunk of the counter.
It wasn't until he looked at her properly that he noticed her grass-stained clothes and chewed boots.

As his eyes turned accusingly to his wife and mother of his daughter, he saw the woman's hands fly up defensively.
"It was just a pack of wolves."

"Mum called me a bitch."

The air in the room nearly got sucked right into Garagus' shocked mouth.
Rhuba didn't even take the time to explain, instead, she bolted for the door, only to be snagged at the last second when a slack grip clutched her tail.
One tight squeeze would paralyse her for an unsettling few minutes, so she passively let Garagus lead her back to the kitchen.

"Celerave! What happens to swearers in this house?"

"Punishment!" She yelled, bouncing on the counter.

"I'm never speaking to you again…" Rhuba glared at her giggling daughter.

"What punishment?" Asked the

Celerave slid off the counter and approached, the way she wiggled her fingers was all the answer the parents needed.

"No!" Rhuba tried to bolt again, but Garagus pounced after her, cross-locking his legs around her waist from behind, while gripping her wrists and pulling them high above her head. "No! NOO!" She screamed, wriggling helplessly as Celerave approached. "Don't you d- Don't you DARE!"

Celerave's evil red eyes were locked on her mother's frightful face as she creped nearer.
Once close enough, she went straight for Rhuba's armpits.

The woman screamed in hellish laughter, kicking her feet helplessly as she was set upon more viciously than the wolves ever could.
And while Celerave was rescued from her attack with only a fright and a few sobs, Rhuba wouldn't escape until well into the rolling tears down her cheeks.

Author's note:
Worth noting. I'm still not going to ask for money. I don't think my work is worth it.
BUT, I am going to be uploading Surviving Saiyan Z more frequently on Quotev.
Here, it'll be uploaded monthly.